He works alongside stars such as Pierce
Brosnan, Orlando Bloom and Joely
Richardson and is more usually found in the Hollywood Hills than
Hillsborough, but actor Sean Bean has revisited his roots to
star in an
advert promoting Sheffield Hallam University, in the heart of
his home city,
as the place to study.

Sean, whose film credits include Lord
of the Rings, Goldeneye, and Patriot
Games and who was famously the swashbuckling hero of the TV series
Sharpe,
has recorded four radio adverts about studying at Sheffield Hallam
and life
in the city, which will be broadcast on Galaxy FM and Hallam
FM from next
week.

Each advert focuses on a different aspect
of the University and life in
Sheffield and asks students to "find out what works for
you." In one advert
Sean describes the city as being, "one of England's liveliest
and most
student-friendly cities". Another advert talks about deferred
tuition fees,
explaining that from 2006 nobody pays upfront for their education
and that
students only pay fees once they have a job, with payments based
on "what
you earn, not what you owe".

Sean was brought up in Handsworth and
remained in Sheffield until 1981, when
he moved to London to train at RADA. He is a lifelong Sheffield
United fan
and famously has "100% Blade" tattooed on his shoulder.

John Palmer, Director of Corporate Communications
at Sheffield Hallam
University says, "Sean became an honorary doctor at Sheffield
Hallam in
1997, and we are thrilled that he agreed to front this campaign.
He has
always retained close ties with the city and is an international
ambassador
for both Sheffield and the region.

"The city already has strong links
to the performing arts due to its
excellent theatres. Sheffield Hallam is supporting this strength
by
launching a foundation degree in Performing Arts, which will
help the
region's next generation of actors to develop their talents."